widgeon, wigeon, n.
(ˈwɪdʒən)
Forms: 6 wegyon, -ion, wygeon, wigion, 6–7 wigen, widgen, -in, 7 -ine, widg(e)ing, widgion, 6– wigeon, 7– widgeon.
[Of difficult etymology.
The form suggests a French origin (cf. pigeon), but no appropriate Fr. forms are evidenced as early as the English word or with the required meaning; cf. vigeon a West Indian duck (1667 Du Tertre, Hist. Gén. des Antilles II. 277), of which there is a nasalized form vingeon (1) widgeon in Eastern dial., (2) a duck of Madagascar (1771 Dict. de Trévoux); beside which there are gingeon ‘sorte de canard qu'on trouve dans les grandes Antilles’ (1832 Raymond Dict. Gén.), and Angevin dial. digeon widgeon.
F. vigeon and It. bibbio wild duck have been referred to L. vīpio kind of crane, but this derivation is very dubious. The various extant forms suggest the possibility of a series of formations with suffix -io(nem) on parallel onomatopœic bases, piu-, biu-, viu-, diu-, giu- (cf. whew, whewer).]
1. A wild duck of the genus Mareca, esp. M. penelope of Europe and northern Asia; other species are M. americana of N. America and M. sibilatrix of southern S. America. (Collective pl. in later use usually widgeon: cf. teal.)
| 1513 Bk. Keruynge in Babees Bk. 279 In the second course..chekyns, pygyons, teeles, wegyons, mallardes. 1544 Turner Avium Præcip. C 5, Quum multæ sint aues aquaticæ anati similes, sed minores, ut sunt, telæ uocatæ ab Anglis Vuigene & pochardæ. 1591 Harington Orl. Fur. Pref., At my Lord Maiors dinner they say he would put vp a widgen for his supper. 1604 E. G[rimstone] tr. D'Acosta's Hist. Indies iii. xvi. 170 Great numbers of wilde-duckes and wigens. 1655 Moufet & Bennet Health's Improv. xii. 107 Teals and Widgins..commonly..are very fat and sweet of taste. 1703 W. Dampier Voy. III. 75 Wigeon and Teal also are said to be in great plenty here. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) VI. 139 The Lincolnshire decoys..principally contribute to supply the markets of London with wild-fowl. The number of ducks, wigeon, and teal, that are sent thither is amazing. 1788 Encycl. Brit. I. 662/1 The American wigeon..is rather bigger than our wigeon. 1877 Black Green Past. xl, In this bountiful and beneficent land, flowing over with broiled bluefish, Carolina widgeon, [etc.]. 1886 Payne-Gallwey Bk. Duck Decoys 17 A Decoy..by means of which wildfowl, such as Wigeon, Mallard, and Teal, are caught alive. 1901 Shooting Times 22 June 21/2 On Lough Neagh, the wigeon is known as the ‘grass-wigeon’ or the ‘grass-duck’. This may be due to its habit of feeding on the grassy sward along the shores. |
b. Locally applied to various wild ducks of other genera: see quots.
| 1668 Charleton Onomast. 99 Anas Fusca..the Red-headed Widgeon. 1676 Ray Willughby's Ornith. iii. 288 The Pochard or great red-headed Wigeon. 1885 Swainson Prov. Names Birds 155 In Shropshire every species of wild duck, with the exception of Anas boscas, is called wigeon. 1898 Morris Austral Engl., Widgeon, the common English name for a Duck of the genus Mareca, extended generally by sportsmen to any wild duck. 1901 Shooting Times 22 June 21/2 The pochard is distinguished by the name of the ‘red-headed wigeon’ or ‘stone wigeon’. |
† 2. Applied to a person, in allusion to the supposed stupidity of the bird: A fool, simpleton, ninny. (Cf. goose, gull, etc.) Obs.
| 1612 Chapman Widow's T. ii. i. E 3 b, Come y'are a widgine. 1639 [J. Taylor] (Water-P.) Divers Crabtree Lect. 122, I [said the Poulterer's wife] call him Goose, and Widging, and Dotrell, and Woodcock. 1647 Lilly Chr. Astrol. cxxviii. 584 The Native will prove a very Asse or Widgion. 1693 Humours Town 93 'Till the Widgeon is Caught, and his Pocket empty. 1741 E. A. Laval Hist. Ref. IV. viii. 985 Those poor silly Widgeons, which they could convert. |
3. attrib. and Comb., as † widgeon-lord (see 2); widgeon-grass, -weed, local names for the grasswrack, Zostera marina.
| 1621 R. Brathwait Time's Curtain drawn G 3 b, Here lies a Widgin-lord, a foot-cloth Asse. 1878 Britten & Holland Plant-n., Widgeon-grass. Zostera marina, L. 1912 ‘Guy Thorne’ Gt. Acceptance x, The ‘mud’ was covered with the marsh zostera, or widgeon-weed. |
Hence † widgeon v. trans. to make a ‘widgeon’ of, befool, cheat.
| a 1596 Sir T. More i. ii. (Malone Soc.) 256 Let them gull me, widgen me, rooke me, foppe me. |